Tubular woven elastic garment



y 1938- .1. v. MOORE 2,117,974

TUBULAR WOVEN ELASTIC GARMENT Filed July 15, 1935 Patented May 17, 1938 TUBULAR WOVEN ELas'rrc: GARMENT John V. Moore, Pawtucket, R. 1., assignor to Moore Fabric Company, Pawtucket, R.- I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application July 13, 1935, Serial No. 31,158

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an elastic garment, such as a girdle or knee band, which is formed of a single piece of tubular woven elastic material stretchable circumferentially and also longitudinally. e

It is the general object of my invention to provide such a garment having firm but yielding resistance to circumferential stretch but much more easily stretchable lengthwise. Such a garment, made in accordance with my invention, has been found exceptionally comfortable to the wearer when in use and particularly well adapted to its intended purposes.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing, inwhich Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a girdle embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the circumferential stretch of the garment;

Fig. 3 illustrates the longitudinal stretch of the garment;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the elastic fabric, and

Fig. 5 illustrates my invention as embodied in a knee band.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, I have shown my invention in the form of a tubular girdle having a body portion l and upper and lower edge portions II. This garment is preferably formed from a single piece of elastic material woven in tubular form and having elastic weft threads I2 extending circumferentially andelastic warp threads l3 extending lengthwise of the garment. Preferably the elastic weft threads l2" in the edge portions H are of smaller size or less strength than the weft threads I2 in the body portion l0.

1t will be noted also by reference to Fig. 4 that the elastic warp threads I3 are spaced relatively widely apart, while the elasticweft threads I: and I2 are placed relativelyclose together. Additional non-elastic weft threads l and nonelastic warp threads ii are commonly used but are interwoven when the elastic warp and elastic weft threads are under tension, so that they do not unduly limit the stretch thereof.

A garment formed oftubular woven elastic material such as has been described is found to possess very important advantages when in use. The closely placed elastic weft threads l2 firmly but yieldingly resist circumferential stretch as indicated in Fig. 2, so that a strong circumferential confining pressure may be applied.

At the same time the garment is very easily yieldable lengthwise, so that a moderate force applied in a lengthwise direction will readily stretch the garment to double its length as indicated in Fig. 3. The relatively soft edge portions II have an easing-off effect and are much more comfortable to the wearer than the abrupt edges of the firm body portion which would otherwise be presented.

A garment thus constructed, when worn without attached garters, is found to firmly retain its vertical position, due to the easy longitudinal stretch, and shows no tendency to creep upward, a difliculty heretofore encountered in many garments of this general type.

Furthermore the comfort of the wearer is greatly increased. as the garment stretches easily to accommodate itself to any bending movement, while at the same circumferentially.

' time it furnishes the desired contractive force the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:- V

A one-piece seamless elastic garment -woven tubularly and integrally and containing both elastic warp threads and elastic weft threads, said a garment having a body portion firmly resistant to weft-wise stretch circumferentially but readily stretchable warp-wise longitudinally, and having upper and lower circumferential edge portionsless resistant to circumferential weft-wise stretch than said body portion and formed with less strongly contractive elastic weft threads than JOHN V. MOORE. 

